How many times did Catholic leaders have nothing to say when Sun-Times asked about the abuser priest with a long history of ministry . . .

. . . and a short record of being named in bishops' and others' public lists of abusers?

It’s in the long article by Robert Herguth of April 19, where we read:

Somewhere along [Fr. Mark Santo’s] wide swath of assignments and cities, he allegedly sexually abused a child, records show.

But it’s virtually impossible to find any information about that — including where any misconduct occurred, when, how the church learned of it and whether there were any repercussions for Santo.

The story is less about Santo, its base, than about what seems to be a down-deep culture affecting and afflicting Catholic powers that be. It’s a catalog of incidents that points to that culture.

The dunno’s, buttoned lips, simple not tellings that make up “A trail of secrecy”:

• The Rev. Mark Santo lived or ministered in at least nine U.S. church jurisdictions but appears on just one public list of credibly accused clergy.

• Seven of those nine jurisdictions maintain public lists, but they vary in what they include because there are no uniform church rules or standards on transparency.

• Neither the Servite religious order that Santo belonged to nor the Archdiocese of Miami where he ministered for years maintain publicly available lists of credibly accused clergy.

• Santo served for years in Chicago, but Cardinal Blase Cupich’s office won’t say why he’s not on his local list of clergy offenders.

• Santo not only served in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, he was accepted into the jurisdiction after leaving the Servites. But he isn’t on Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki’s list either, and his aides won’t say why.

• The pope lets dioceses and religious orders decide how — and whether — to disclose their predatory members in lists, and the end result is an incomplete and inconsistent accounting.

In the U.S. public listings are pretty much standard — with exceptions.

But, because Pope Francis lets bishops and order leaders decide whether to post their own lists of predatory clergy and, if so, how much information to reveal, the result is an incomplete and inconsistent accounting, the Chicago Sun-Times found.

This in contrast with Francis’ willingness to lay down the law in other matters, such as Latin masses.

Chicago has published a list of its own clergy offenders. But recently . . .

After news reports and under behind-the-scenes pressure, Cupich expanded the list in 2022 to include abusive members of religious orders who lived, served or abused in his jurisdiction.

Including . . .

. . . two Servite priests among more than 160 clergy members believed to have committed sexual abuse.

Santo isn’t on the list. Neither Cupich nor his aides will say why.

Nor would Servite leaders.

Nor are they the only ones . . .

. . . other orders have declined to make public any listing of clergy members deemed to have abused. Those include the Augustinians, Passionists and certain Benedictines, the Sun-Times has reported.

More . . .

A church watchdog group has identified as many as 11 Servites believed to have molested children.

The Rev. Eugene Smith, who oversees the order in the United States, didn’t respond to calls seeking comment. Nor did officials at the group’s international headquarters in Rome respond to questions.

The Servites did cooperate earlier with a diocese seeking to publish a list of order-member abusers.

The Rev. John Fontana, Smith’s predecessor [USA Servite provincial 2009-2020 ], communicated with the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri, in 2018 or 2019, when that diocese was compiling its first list.

A new chapter in the sex abuse scandal had just emerged, fueled by disclosures of sex abuse and cover-ups in Pennsylvania. And church organizations around the country were taking steps to embrace greater transparency to appease members expressing outrage.

Springfield-Cape Girardeau Church officials . . .

. . . contacted religious orders to ask about any abusive members. The Servites [told] them about Santo, who had been associate pastor of Ste. Marie du Lac, a parish in Ironton, Missouri . . . diocese spokeswoman Leslie Anne Eidson [said].

“. . . we reached out to all religious congregations around the country in 2019 in order to confirm those religious order priests that we had record of ever having served here, their dates of service and whether or not an allegation had ever been made against said religious order priests. At that time, we spoke with Father John Fontana.”

[She got] “no information as to the who, what, where, when,” she added. “I’m hopeful the Servites can and will assist.”

Apparently they did not.

Fontana — now serving at Assumption Catholic Church, which is staffed by the Servites and at 323 W. Illinois St. in the North Loop — didn’t return calls and emails seeking comment.

One of many stops for Santo.

More on the Fr. Santo story as demonstrating the low priority given by church leaders to the clergy-abuse issue. . . . .